Firefox: Your Browser history may be sniffed...

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

I use Opera and I'm not affected and not too interested, but maybe this is of interest for FF users. Websites may sniff your browser history as demonstrated here:
http://www.making-the-web.com/misc/sites-you-visit/
http://www.making-the-web.com/misc/sites-you-visit/nojs/
I have no more information but wanted to inform you.

EDIT: Waaah! Opera 9.64 reveals a history item as well!
EDIT2: It's Opera 9.64/Windows. The History was pretty full, "fileden.com" somewhere within...

[Dr. Dread]

Better change. What about Safari?

[Opus106]

Thanks. I'll check if the p0rn mode in Fx 3.5 beta is any good.

[Opus106]

I missed a two-day-old /. story on this: http://slashdot.org/story/09/06/13/2125211/Sniffing-Browser-History-Without-Javascript

And apparently, this has been demonstrated nearly three years ago.
http://jeremiahgrossman.blogspot.com/2006/08/i-know-where-youve-been.html

[Dr. Dread]

So, IN ENGLISH, what do we Firefoxers do?

[Opus106]

Run and hide. I'll post if I come across a solution posted somewhere.

[Keemun]

So, IN ENGLISH, what do we Firefoxers do?

Use Internet Explorer.   

OK, joking aside, what about using a FF extension like Stealther?  Honestly, I'm not that concerned about this.  Ads that are targeted to my "profile" could actually be an improvement over the crap normally displayed.

[Opus106]

So, IN ENGLISH, what do we Firefoxers do?

Actually, someone has posted a "solution" right there in the comments.

Copy the following line of code

Code Select Expand

a:visited { background-image: none ! important; }

and paste it in your userContent.css file of your current Firefox profile. I find out that after doing that and restarting Firefox, the site was unable to list any domains from my history. I had that page open for a few minutes until a "Service Temporarily Unavailable" message showed up.

To locate userContent.css, go to the Profile folder of your current profile. (If you haven't created or deleted a profile since installation, then this folder would be named ########.default, where # represents any alpha-numeric character.) Once there, find the folder named chrome. You should find userContent.css inside. (NOTE: it's userContent, NOT userChrome.) After pasting the code, restart Firefox.

[Dr. Dread]

Actually, someone has posted a "solution" right there in the comments.

Copy the following line of code

Code Select Expand

a:visited { background-image: none ! important; }

and paste it in your userContent.css file of your current Firefox profile. I find out that after doing that and restarting Firefox, the site was unable to list any domains from my history. I had that page open for a few minutes until a "Service Temporarily Unavailable" message showed up.

To locate userContent.css, go to the Profile folder of your current profile. (If you haven't created or deleted a profile since installation, then this folder would be named ########.default, where # represents any alpha-numeric character.) Once there, find the folder named chrome. You should find userContent.css inside. (NOTE: it's userContent, NOT userChrome.) After pasting the code, restart Firefox.

Thanks, Nav. I'll give it a shot later.

[Opus106]

OK, joking aside, what about using a FF extension like Stealther?

That add-on will become useless in a little while: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Private+Browsing

[Keemun]

That add-on will become useless in a little while: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Private+Browsing

True.  I've had mixed success running beta FF releases, so I'm going to wait for 3.5 to be released before I upgrade.    Besides, I have little use for private browsing -- I just like knowing I can do it if I want to. 

[Opus106]

I've had mixed success running beta FF releases, so I'm going to wait for 3.5 to be released before I upgrade. 

There's a reason why they are tagged beta. By the way, you can run the beta side-by-side with the current stable release. You present installation will not be affected.

Besides, I have little use for private browsing -- I just like knowing I can do it if I want to. 

[drogulus]

     opus106,

     I tried the site (http://www.making-the-web.com/misc/sites-you-visit/) with FF 3.5 Beta: 0 sites found.

     I tried the FF 3.6 alpha and found a number of sites showed up. Then I pasted that code in usercontent.css and now nothing shows up.

     If you have an extension that's broken in a new FF version open the file (you have to download it instead of install) with 7-Zip and then edit the install.rdf file (right-click and select Edit). Find where it says MaxVersion and change it from 3.0 or 3.5 to 3.6, then close and it will ask you if you want to save the change. This will work 99% of the time since the MaxVersion is usually the only thing that needs to be changed. You can do this with most FF add ons. If it doesn't work the extension won't install, so you'll have to wait for an update from the author.

[Joe_Campbell]

Actually, someone has posted a "solution" right there in the comments.

Copy the following line of code

Code Select Expand

a:visited { background-image: none ! important; }

and paste it in your userContent.css file of your current Firefox profile. I find out that after doing that and restarting Firefox, the site was unable to list any domains from my history. I had that page open for a few minutes until a "Service Temporarily Unavailable" message showed up.

To locate userContent.css, go to the Profile folder of your current profile. (If you haven't created or deleted a profile since installation, then this folder would be named ########.default, where # represents any alpha-numeric character.) Once there, find the folder named chrome. You should find userContent.css inside. (NOTE: it's userContent, NOT userChrome.) After pasting the code, restart Firefox.

I tried this, but unfortunately, I got an 'access denied' box. I'm running the RC for Windows 7...

[drogulus]

I tried this, but unfortunately, I got an 'access denied' box. I'm running the RC for Windows 7...

     Appdata is a hidden folder (it looks grey in Windows Explorer because I have "show hidden folders" selected in folder options), so you'll need Administrative Privileges. I'm using the 7 RC, too. This should work for all Windows versions from XP on.

[Joe_Campbell]

     Appdata is a hidden folder (it looks grey in Windows Explorer because I have "show hidden folders" selected in folder options), so you'll need Administrative Privileges. I'm using the 7 RC, too. This should work for all Windows versions from XP on.

I was able to find the folder and file (userContent.css), but I could not modify it. If I'm the only user, why would I not have administrative privileges by default...

[Dr. Dread]

Well, I hope they don't find out about nakedcomposers.com! 

[Catison]

Wow, I am appalled at the sites visited by some people here!!

[drogulus]

I was able to find the folder and file (userContent.css), but I could not modify it. If I'm the only user, why would I not have administrative privileges by default...

   

    HAHAHAHAHAHA etc.

    Sorry, this is the question everyone has asked themselves since Vista introduced the hateful User Account Control, according to which You aren't You unless the Administrator (You) tell Windows that You are the Administrator. Which You can do if You have.........